“The Jaguar XF has a forward facing stereo camera behind the front windscreen,” said Matthew Avery, director of safety at Thatcham Research.  “This gives a 3D view of the road ahead, powering some of the best AEB equipment – fitted as standard – available on the market.”

The AEB system – common across new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles – was a key reason for the Land Rover Discovery Sport being awarded the What Car? Safe Car of the Year 2015, which requires winning vehicles to score five Euro NCAP stars and have AEB fitted as standard.

Matthew Avery added: “Vehicle safety over the last 50 years has been all about protecting the occupant of the car, with advances in seatbelts, air bags and the innovative use of strong materials in body construction contributing to huge advances in this area.

“Today, the main focus is on crash prevention which is why AEB is so central to safety on the roads in the future, and we are already seeing significantly reduced accident rates on UK roads as a result, which in turn, is reflected by lower insurance premiums.

“Safer cars, in particular with the standard fitment of AEB, are an increasingly significant factor for car buyers.’’